Does Your Dog Jump on You? Start With These Simple Changes

How to Stop a Dog From Jumping on You: Start With These Simple Changes

If your dog jumps on you the second you walk in the door, you’re not alone.

It’s one of the most common complaints I hear from dog owners.

Most people try everything:

• They say “off.”

• They push the dog down.

• They correct.

• They repeat themselves.

And yet the jumping continues.

Why?

Because jumping works.

Even when you push your dog away or tell them no, you are still giving attention. And for an excited dog, attention is the reward.

If you want the behavior to change, you have to remove the reward.

Change #1: Stop Responding to the Jumping

When you walk in the door:

• Do not look at your dog.

• Do not talk to your dog.

• Do not touch your dog.

If they jump on you, turn your back.

If they jump again, walk away.

If necessary, leave the room and shut the door.

You are not being mean. You are removing the payoff.

Jumping only continues because it gets something. When it gets nothing, it starts to fade.

Change #2: Commit to the 15-Minute Rule

Most owners ignore their dog for 30 seconds… maybe a minute… then give in.

That teaches the dog to try harder.

Instead, commit to what I call the 15-minute rule.

You do not acknowledge your dog until they are calm.

That means four paws on the floor. Relaxed body. No jumping.

Be prepared: your dog may escalate at first.

They may jump harder. Bark. Paw at you.

That’s normal.

They are testing whether the old behavior still works.

Do not blink.

Most dogs do not make it 15 minutes. Around the 8–9 minute mark, they will huff, sulk off, and lay down.

Good.

Now wait another minute or two to make sure the calm sticks.

Then move in.

And reward the calm behavior.

Pet them. Praise them. Make being calm the most rewarding thing in the house.

Dogs repeat what works.

Change #3: Make “Sit” the Default Behavior

If your dog already understands “sit,” you have an advantage.

After ignoring the jumping, if your dog comes over and sits on their own, reward it immediately.

They just chose a better behavior.

Reinforce it.

But here’s the important part: this works best when “sit” has already been practiced as a default behavior in daily life.

This is where pre-work, like the Turn Around Game
(https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsbJO2JoPmqK1-XsTuXzZeaZgjDMMA11P**)
becomes powerful.

The Turn Around Game teaches your dog to reorient toward you and offer attention instead of reacting impulsively. It builds engagement and helps make sit a default response instead of jumping.

When you combine that foundation work with the 15-minute ignore, the shift happens faster.

Instead of jumping and hoping for attention, your dog begins to think:

“If I sit, I get what I want.”

Over time, the sit will happen sooner. The jumping will fade because it produces nothing useful.

Keep It Simple

You do not need complicated tools to fix jumping.

You need consistency.

Ignore the bad.
Reward the good.
Or better yet — redirect the bad and reward the good.

Dog training isn’t complicated — you just need a little more information.

If you are in the Kansas City area and want help with jumping, leash pulling, reactivity, or aggression, learn more about in-home training here:

Dog Trainer in Kansas City
(https://kissdogtraining.com/dog-trainer-kansas-city/**)

Winner – Best Dog Trainer in Johnson County (2023, 2025)
Johnson County Post – Best Dog Trainer
(https://bojc2025.johnsoncountypost.com/pets/dog-trainer**)